When we think of lions, the first thing that comes to mind is the phrase “King of the Jungle”. Few animals would dare challenge a lion in the wild even when they are extremely hungry. But this is not the case in a restaurant in Mesa, Arizona. Restaurant owner Cameron Selogie of II Vinaio restaurant was able to whip up a new dish – the lion burgers.

As expected, it has caused so much stir and ire from many people that the restaurateur has received 250 angry e-mails from animal activists and even a bomb threat. It’s not surprising considering that this is quite the first time we ever hear of a lions being served up as a meal.

Well, just imagine your favorite Lion King character Simba come to life and be slaughtered for burger meat. It’s horrible, right? What is sad is that we know the lions are classified as threatened species and are fast becoming an endangered one.

Though the animal was not poached, as the restaurant owner claims he bought the meat from a free-range farm in Illinois and the farm was approved and regulated by the United States Department of Agriculture. Nevertheless, the owner should be more conscious of the impact his exotic dish will bring about. If we start serving lion burgers now, what exotic animal would be next on the list? Restaurants find ways to make their business known, no matter what the consequences are. This will cause a race for some to create outrageous food dishes using exotic animals that are not only sure to shock the palates of some but also our sensibilities.